The Old City Jewish Quarter

The Old City Jewish Quarter

A Jerusalem tour simply wouldn't be complete without a trip to the Jewish Quarter in the Old City. The walled Old City is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, with the Jewish quarter situated to the southeast corner. In 1948, the Old City was occupied by Jordon and most of the ancient buildings were destroyed. In 1967, however, when Israel regained control of the Old City, the remains were excavated and buildings reconstructed.

The Hurva Synagogue which dominated the skyline prior to its destruction in 1948 was not initially rebuilt because of disagreements. Instead, a commemorative arch was erected here and it was only in 2000 that work finally began on the reconstruction of the building - which was opened to the public in 2010. The Western Wall is located in the Jewish quarter, the remains of a temple wall built in the times of Herod. The Burnt House is the site of the remains of a house burnt down by the Romans in 70 AD. The house is also known as Katros House because of the inscription ‘bar katros’ which was discovered on weights in the house. The Cardo, or ‘Cardo Maximus’ is a Roman-Byzantine street featuring colonnades dating back to the sixth century AD. The Broad Wall is what remains of the thick city walls erected by Hizkiah at the time when the first temple existed, and visitors can see 45 meters of wall on display here.

The City of David

The City of David, named after King David, is the oldest settlement in Jerusalem. King David established the city 3000 years ago, in order to unify the tribes of Israel, and his son, Solomon, built the First Temple on the northern border. The area is home to many archeological sites of interest including an intact underground water system.